This Sandwich Is Half Crab, Half Lobster, All Awesome

We love lobster rolls; we love our crab, whatever form it comes in. But pairing the two in one sandwich — with cheese? That’d be the “Clobster,” a creation beyond even our wildest sandwich fantasies.

Chef Andrew Gruel of Slapfish, a modern seafood shack in Southern California, is an avid grilled cheese fan, who wanted to adapt the sandwich to his menu. “The grilled cheese sandwich is a national icon,” he says, “therefore it seemed only patriotic to work one into our U.S. seafood focused menu.” (He did it for his country.) ”But the issue was how to combine seafood with cheese, which is not a typical pairing.”

The solution, obviously, was to go with both crustaceans in a single sandwich. “Since crab and lobster are naturally sweet, they can stand up boldly to other rich flavors.”

The bread: California sourdough, which adds a subtle acidity that cuts through the richness of the Clobster. A thin layer of mayonnaise on the outside of the sandwich (yep, outside) works even better than butter, to score that ideal golden brown.

The filling: You’ve got crab and lobster, dressed in drawn butter. Then American cheese, because nothing melts better; then, because this sandwich was clearly lacking in awesome, Gruel’s “awesome sauce.” That would be a spicy smoked chile sauce, for those diners, the chef says, “who want to live on the edge.”